I was thinking how its a funny thing, pearls. We all know the nice redemptive story of how the precious stone is created. Some piece of sand gets lodged in an oyster, the living organism of the oyster then over time coats the granular and produces the sought after pearl. It’s your classic Cinderella story—with a bit of a Little Mermaid twist I suppose. Britain’s Prime Minister, Winston Churchill visited the luscious country of Uganda in 1907 and was the first to call it the “Pearl of Africa.” While Churchill was referencing the landscape in this now war torn country, the 24-million people who call the place home are the ones who truly make the land precious.
You may have received many a letter from me over the past few years. However, some of you may be new friends whom I have not shared this part of my heart with. Where ever you fall into that sphere of friendship with me and my family I would ask you to take a moment to let me share a piece of the burden God has placed within me. I have always been enamored with trains, planes, maps, adventures, and stories of lives changed. Growing up I didn’t understand why I had such a draw towards these topics, not until the first time I was offered the chance to travel to a far off country to share God’s love. That’s when it all clicked. This passion for far off places and daring adventures was God’s way of whispering his longings to reach a people often overlooked. Since this realization God has lead me to three foreign countries and an outlook changing week in the slums of Los Angeles. Through this I’ve been blessed beyond words by many of you repeatedly supporting me. Now I am asking that you don’t allow this recurring, neatly folded letter to become white noise. I believe I’ve been allowed to go on these trips in the past, in preparation to step out and take a trip back to continent that stole my heart on my first trip in 2007 to South Africa.
This time I don’t have any details to share of how I and 20 others from my church are crossing the ocean to reach out to the people of Uganda. This time—its just me. I am joining Ugandan Pastor, Jackson Sangoya, the founder of Christian Life Ministries on a trip to Seeta, Uganda July 14-August 1. I have discovered how there has never been any quicker way to reduce me to tears then to share the plea of this war torn country. I have often said how I need the occasional reality check, whether that is in the form of a memoir of someone who has lived through unspeakable circumstances, or watching a film about true events. When I popped in the documentary “Invisible Children” to watch one afternoon a few years back, I had no idea what God was getting ready to do in my heart. As the film detailed the lives of these children who are forced into a life of killing, my heart broke. I sobbed uncontrollably as it showed children weeping over their lost parents, many of whom had been killed at their own hand. This is a country that has been torn apart by an internal war for over 20 years, and none of the people who live there have been able to stay indifferent. They have all been affected, whether their children were kidnapped by the LRA (a rebel army) and forced to be soldiers, or they watched their siblings brutally kill their parents, or they perhaps have witnessed a loved one slowly pass away as a result of AIDS. In one way or another, this once beautiful country has become a waste land of overlooked humanity.
With the growing desire to go and love on the people of this country, I decided that if I didn’t act on it soon, the opportunity would pass me by. I felt like God was saying this was the year to step out. With Christian Life Ministries I will be spending most of my time in the villages of Seeta and Lira. Seeta is a village that is committed to providing a home for many widows and women who suffer from HIV. While many of these woman have lost their children to the LRA’s cruelty, the ministry has began to bring back their joy by allowing them to be house moms for some of the thousands of orphans cared for by CLM. In Lira, the ministry has created a fresh start place for the surviving young victims of the LRA to recover and re-learn what it is like to live life outside of being a war criminal. I will have the amazing opportunity to help the house moms at these villages, serve them in the name of Christ and to love on them as well as the kid who stay there. For me to go, I still need to raise $3000 by June 30. If you feel lead to support me financially you can write a tax deductible check to Christian Life Ministries.
So friends and family, I just want to update you on how things are going as I have been raising money for my trip this summer. Along with the support letters I have sent out, I have been doing a text book drive and a garage sale of sorts to raise the funds. At this point I have about a third of the funds that I need in order to go to Uganda. At this juncture I would ask you to continue to partner with me in prayer over the people I will encounter as well as the fundraising process. I also want to ask if you would consider supporting me financially if you haven’t already? I of course want to thank those of you who have year after year helped me go to these places that God opens the door to- you are irreplaceable. You are all such a blessing, thank you for everything.
My hope is that perhaps the beautiful people of Uganda will yet be known for their love and joy that can be found in Christ. Maybe the country’s appearance as an insignificant grain of sand can still be seen transformed into a pearl once more. Maybe what they need is someone like you to reach out. Maybe you’re able to go someday or maybe you’re able to give.I don’t think that I am some super hero who will single handedly change the nation in three weeks. But what I do know is that I feel called there. Not everyone is, not everyone has to go. But I feel like I have to be obedient to what God has laid on my heart, and I can’t do that without your help. Thank you for considering supporting me, and investing in the Pearl of Africa.
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